June 9, 2017 - LAST CLASS 104 minutes  Make-up Time & Checking Grades: Since this is our last full class all students had time to make up any work they may have missed. All projects were handed back and students could submit anything they missed or re-submit a project that they hadn't finished for full credit. All students were asked to log into the HAC and check their grades for this class. Office Yoga Break: For our break today everyone had a chance to get up and move around the room and review each other's work. Then, before getting back to work, we practiced a simple yoga stretch for your ankles.  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class with a short video from Fox 5 News in Washington DC about a school district in Maryland that's monitoring everything their students do online.  June 7, 2017 94 minutes   Description of How the Internet Works: The example of phone conversations using VOIP was used to describe the differences between the old dedicated line communication systems (circuit switching) and the internet system (packet switches) that has replaced it. The development of an emergency communication system within the United States (ARPANET) into today's worldwide internet was also described. We also discussed how webpages like this one are sent through the internet. We also discussed how webcams work the same way by sending 30 pictures per second through the internet.Break:  Students are always reminded to not spend too much time sitting in front of computers.  Breaks should be taken every 30-40 minutes.  For our break today we practiced a simple yoga stretch for your shoulder and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around some.  Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today by watching the second half of a TED presentation by Juan Enriquez about some of the mind boggling science that is being currently developed and how it might change humanity.  June 5, 2017 80 minutes* Student Presentations: Students had about 10 minutes to prepare and practice their slide shows before presenting them to the class.  The presentations were broadcast live through the internet using a Google Hangout.  During the presentations our students in the classroom audience completed an online survey to give the presenters immediate feedback about their performance.  Feedback appeared as bar charts at the bottom of this webpage.  We were very fortunate to have a visitor to our class during the presentations.  Mrs. Morgan a teacher at Steam Middle School in Burleson, Texas was able to watch our students present and give them some feedback about their performance.   In the images below you can see screen shots of the groups as they presented online.  Notice the difference that high contrast and a large font makes for an online audience.   (PA-BCIT Standards:  15.3.8.B, 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.12.W, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K)  (ISTE Standards: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3b, 4b, 6b, 6d)     Excel Introduction: We started MS Excel and students were introduced to some of the basic features.  Next class we will be making a multiplication table in Excel using relative and absolute formulas.  Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.1.8.E) (ISTE Standards: 1c, 3c, 3d, 4c, 6a, 6b) Technology Current Event Video: As a follow-up to our PowerPoint presentation activities we watched part of Don McMillan's famous presentation: Life after Death by PowerPoint. (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.3.8.D) * Class time was shorter today due to a fire drill June 1, 2017 104 minutes   History of Computers Slide Show: Students worked on their final PowerPoint project which is a 6-8 slide show that they will present to the class. Students worked in groups of 5-6 and used the internet for research. In this project students were introduced to online collaboration using a shared Google Slide Show. They were challenged to think about how they could use online collaboration tools like this to work with other students from all over the world in the future. As an example of this we watched the 12-12-12 Slide Show that was created by 3rd grade students in Denmark. Teachers from around the world collaborated on this show simultaneously and asynchronously.  Click here to enlarge the project description.(PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H, 15.3.8.M, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K, 15.4.5.A, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.F, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.12.W) (ISTE Standards: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c)   Why We Do Group Projects: Students were shown a presentation about time management, group projects and the business concept of "Man Hours". Everyone had enough time to finish and practice their presentations in class today. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.G, 15.3.8.H, 15.3.8.M, 15.4.8.G, 15.4.8.K, 15.4.5.A, 15.4.8.D, 15.4.8.F, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.12.W)(ISTE Standards: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3b, 4b, 6b, 6d) Student Technology Use Survey:  This class was selected to participate in the annual survey of what technology students have access to and use routinely.  After the survey students were shown the results of the previous Student Technology Use Surveys going back to 2006.  The top 10 trends in technology use were also discussed.  (PA-BCIT Standard:  15.4.8.A) Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a promotional video from Google about collaborating online using Docs, Sheets and Slides. May 30, 2017 44 minutes  Internet Moment: Today we explored Sketchup which is a great example of a free CAD program. CAD, or computer aided design & drafting, has become very common across many fields and students should have some knowledge of what 3D designing looks and feels like on a computer. We also discussed how this program will be used by students in their 7th Grade Technology Education Manufacturing Unit to develop and market a product for mass production. Though it is available at school, Google Sketchup is a free download that students can download at home so they can continue to learn more about this important skill on their own. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.6.8.M, 15.8.8.K, 15.8.8.S, 15.9.8.F) Day at School Power Point Shows: Everyone had time to finish their slide shows today. Students were reminded to check the internal navigation features in their shows and then set-up their shows in kiosk format.  We did a final peer evaluation activity. Students then turned in their completed shows using a network drive. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.5.M, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.S) (ISTE Standards: 1a, 2b, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6d) Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video from Lenovo about flexible phones and tablet computers. May 25, 2017 82 minutes*   Video Conference: During class today our students interviewed Mr. Steve Sherman, the founder of LivingMaths.com in Cape Town, South Africa.  Our students asked him many questions about school in South Africa.  It was about 3:30 in the afternoon there. We were surprised to hear that most students in South Africa wear uniforms to school and Mr. Sherman talked to us about the many benefits of uniforms instead of having a dress code like we do. We were also surprised to hear that their school year started at the end of January and ended at the beginning of December. This is because they are in the Southern Hemisphere.  Mr. Sherman also asked our students questions about school in the United States and about what our kids were looking forward to this Summer.  Before the interview we prepared a list of things to do and not to do in a formal video interview. We also prepared our questions in advance so we could learn more about school in South Africa. (PA-BCIT: 15.2.8.H, 15.3.8.K, 15.3.8.M, 15.7.8.I, 15.7.8.J, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.A, 15.4.8.B) (ISTE Standards: 1d, 2b, 2c, 5a, 5b, 5c)Day at School PowerPoint Shows: We continued to add additional features to make this the "greatest PowerPoint" our students have ever made. Students continued to add voice narration using the record audio option in PowerPoint. We will be adding a short quiz and turning in the shows next class. Click here to enlarge the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.5.M, 15.3.5.H, 15.4.8.G, 15.3.8.S) (ISTE Standards: 1a, 2b, 3b, 3c, 4b, 6d) Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from RBB Public Relations that features 3 tips for successfully participating in a Skype interview. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.2.8.H, 15.3.8.M, 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.M) * Class time was shorter today due to the Blue, White & Silver Day schedule May 23, 2017 90 minutes Internet Moment: Today we explored some of the features in Google Maps. Students were shown how to find our school and view satellite and aerial photos of their neighborhoods. Students found directions by car, bike and walking from school to their house. We also used the street views and how the Google Maps cars work was explained. We then went to Munich, Germany and used the street view feature to explore the city.  It was explained to students that in Germany people can ask to have their residences removed from Google Maps. We also traveled to Tokyo, Japan and students were shown how to check live traffic data.  We also discussed how Google Maps collects traffic data using personal cell phones.  Students then had some time to explore the world on their own.  (PA-BCIT: 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A)  (ISTE Standards:  1a, 1c, 1d, 2c, 3b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b) Narrations Tips: Before starting our narration we watched a short video from Audio-Technica about getting professional recording results. Students were reminded that voice recordings does involve considerable technical knowledge, skill and practice. (ISTE Standards: 6a, 6c) Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a video from Discovery News about how Google Maps works.  May 19, 2017 44 minutes  Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with another example of online education.  We watched a YouTube video that was created by two of Mrs. Zablatnik's high school students from      cooking a Mediterranean dish.  The instruction is all given in English. May 17, 2017 91 minutes Internet Moment: Today students were introduced to the idea of online education by exploring the Open Course Ware that is available from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Students were shown a presentation about college that included vocabulary terms such as major, syllabus, and different higher education degrees (associates, bachelors, masters and doctorate). We then went to ocw.mit.edu and students selected a program to explore from the courses by department. As an example of a college level lecture we watched the very end of a physics lecture about work, energy, and gravitation. You can view the segment of the lecture that we watched above. Each student then had some time to explore the website on their own and they were encouraged to check it out at home also. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.2.5.B, 15.2.5.J, 15.2.5.L, 15.2.8.E, 15.2.8.F, 15.8.8.K) (ISTE Standards: 1d, 3a, 3b, 3c) Break:  Students are always reminded to not spend too much time sitting in front of computers.  Breaks should be taken every 30-40 minutes.  For our break today we practiced a simple yoga stretch for your shoulder and then everyone had a chance to get up and move around some. Technology Current Event Video:  As a followup to today's internet moment about online education and Open Course Ware from M.I.T. we watched a 60 Minutes video about Salman Khan and his creation, Khan Academy.  Students were also reminded that while they are making their slide shows about their day at school for the 6th graders they are participating in online education as an instructor.  (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.6.8.M, 15.4.8.A, 15.8.8.K) May 12, 2017 104 minutes  Internet Moment: Students had a chance to explore Plane Finder which is an online resource that displays the locations of all the commercial airliners in the world. This website is an example of using public domain information to create a profit making website and app. We also discussed how the information about airline locations is collected by a government agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, and is therefore in the public domain. (PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.5.V, 15.4.8.A, 15.6.5.L) (PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.B, 15.3.8.E, 15.8.8.C, 15.9.5.M) Office Yoga Break:   During long classes like this one students are always reminded to take breaks and get exercise. Students shouldn't spend more than 30-40 minutes in front of a computer without taking a break. As part of our break today we practiced a simple office yoga stretch for your neck.  A Day At School PowerPoint Presentation: Students started a 6-9 slide show about a topic that they are all experts at, being 7th graders at Newtown Middle School. These shows are made for 6th graders who will be transitioning to our school next September. Students were shown how to access the background templates in MS PowerPoint 2016 and how to find additional backgrounds on the internet. Everyone had time to pick their backgrounds and start making their slide shows.  Students were shown how to find license free and public domain images from the internet using advance searches in Bing.com. Accessing old yearbook photos on our school network was demonstrated.   Students were also shown how to drag and drop slides from another show.   May 10, 2017 44 minutes  Internet Moment: Students were shown Weather.gov (the National Weather Service) as an example of a huge online database that's full of real-time and archived information. We checked our local weather and spent a few minutes checking the satellite images and Doppler radar for the whole United States. Students were also shown how to access the hourly weather graphs for our area to get precipitation predictions. We also discussed how federal government publications, such as the NWS website, can not be copyrighted and are therefore in the public domain. Students were reminded that the NWS is the original source for most of the weather information they receive on the internet, TV, and their phones. This website was also used as an example of "unbiased" information on the internet. Students were also told how predicting the weather motivated early computer pioneers. Finally, students were shown an old video about how early computers were used to predict the weather. (PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.5.V, 15.4.8.A, 15.6.5.L)We also discussed some of the advances that have taken place in the last 65 years:   Word Logo Project: To get more familiar with the drawing and graphics tools in Word students were asked to create a unique logo as if they were starting their own business. A slideshow of corporate, athletic and national logos was presented to help students understand what a logo was and what visual communication is all about. Students had a chance to share their completed logos with their classmates. Click here to view the project description.  Click here to view the logos we created.  (PA BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.E, 15.4.5.G, 15.3.8.U, 15.4.8.D) Technology Current Event Video: We finished class today with a short video from Pond5.com about how public domain works. In the video the three ways content enters the public domain is explained (through government, through dedication and time). May 8, 2017 91 minutes   Email Etiquette:  We finished class today with a short video about email etiquette tips for college students from Dr. Tracy Brown at California State University in San Marcos. (PA-BCIT Standards 15.3.8.E, 15.3.8.M, 15.3.8.O, 15.3.8.Q, 15.3.8.R, 15.3.8.S, 15.3.8.U, 15.3.8.X, 15.4.8.D, 15.3.8.M, 15.4.8.F)   May 4, 2017 104 minutes Class Blog: Students were shown TodayInComputerClass.com and told that they can check here anytime to review what work was done in class. We also discussed what a web log or blog was, how blogs developed into microblogs like Twitter and now mobile phone based apps like Instagram. This website is the blog or web log for our class. Students were also told that their parents will be sent an email with a link to this website so they can also review what we are doing in computer class each day.  Business Letter #2: Students practiced professional communication and typing skills by making a second block format business letter. To make this letter students have to copy text from Business Letter #1. How to Set up a table, merge cells and copy/paste text was demonstrated. Everyone had time to finish and print this project in class today.  Students were also reminded that they need to develop a personalized signature and we discussed the use of a written signature on legal documents.  Click here to view the project description. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.A, 15.3.8.B) Office Yoga Break: During long classes like this one students are always reminded to take breaks and get exercise. Students shouldn't spend more than 30-40 minutes in front of a computer without taking a break. As part of our break today we practiced a simple office yoga stretch for your sides.   were able to participate by asking Mr. Adams all kinds of questions about his work at NASA.  We asked about space travel, our solar system and the challenges of going to Mars. He also told us about how he got started in technology and how it led him to NASA. After the interview everyone had a chance to explore Google Mars. This was a great opportunity to show our students how webcam technology and the internet can be used in education. (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.4.5.A, 15.3.5.S, 15.3.8.Q) Technology Current Event Video:  We finished class today with a short video about the many challenges of living on Mars. May 2, 2017 94 minutes Internet Moment: Google News - Students were shown how to use this popular news aggregator to find current event stories and how to search the news for topics that interest them or might be required for another subject area.  Students were also asked to search Google News for themselves and people they know.  (CRETS:  1a, 2a, 3a, 3b, 3d, 7d) (PA-BCIT Standards: 15.3.8.G, 15.6.5.L) (ISTE Standards: 3b, 3c, 4c, 5c, 5b, 6a)   Assigned Seats: All students have an assigned seat/computer in the lab. Students have a responsibility to report any problems with the machine they have been assigned. In this way we all participate in maintaining our school computers. Everyone should use the same computer every time they come to the lab. Students were also reminded to adjust the keyboard, mouse, chair and monitor to meet their ergonomic needs when they come to class.  (CRETS: 2b) (PA-BCIT Standard: 15.4.5.D, 15.4.2.B, 15.4.8.F) (ISTE Standards: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 6c) Typing Test: All students took a typing test using TypingTest.com. Each student had 10 minutes to take the 1 minute test multiple times. Their best adjusted speed was recorded and graphed in an Excel spreadsheet. The average typing speed for this class was:  41.3 WPM Click here for more information about typing speeds at Newtown Middle School.  (CRETS:  2e)    Technology Current Event Video: As a follow-up to the presentation about identity theft and the business letter project we watched this short CBS News video about the growth of identity theft among children. (PA BCIT Standards: 15.6.8.M) April 28, 2017 91 minutes Introduction to Basic Computer Skills Class: Basic rules and classroom procedures were explained. Students were specifically reminded that because technology is constantly changing they should get into the habit of helping each other out and demonstrating the ability to learn new computer skills through experimentation. All students reported that they had helped an adult with computer skills. They were reminded that they also need to get used to helping each other with technology. (PA-BCIT Standard 15.2.5.L, 15.3.8.C, 15.3.8.D, 15.3.5.M, 15.8.5.C) Log On & Explore:    All students were given time to explore the start menu, Cortana and the various programs available to them at school.    Break: Students are always reminded to not spend too much time working on computers and to take breaks every 30-40 minutes. For our break today we conducted a probability experiment about matching birthdays that you can read about here. Everyone was asked to get up and find the other person in the room who shares their birthday to see if there was a match.  Computer Class Survey: All students take a computer class survey. The results of this survey are used to guide the instruction for the class. You can view the survey to the right. Click to enlarge. We then used the survey as the outline for the following presentation. Introduction to Computer Class Presentation: This presentation was a follow up to the survey and covered basic computer concepts everyone should be familiar with such as:
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